Tag Archives: property

Keeping your home protected against burglary doesn’t need to involve expensive and complex systems. The majority of us already have various safety measures in place which go a long way towards making our homes feel more protected. However, burglary is often an opportunistic crime and identifying the seemingly small issues that could put you at risk can have a huge benefit on the overall security of your home. From storing your valuables in a home safe to investing in a monitored alarm system, the following tips are all simple steps that you can take to deter potential thieves and give you peace of mind.

Window Locks

Window locks may seem like an obvious step, but they’re easy to overlook. Ensuring that all of your accessible windows are fitted with locks offers a huge boost to the security of your home, giving would-be burglars fewer points of access. Sometimes though if you have older windows, the locking mechanism may fail. In this case, Art Roofing Contractors recommends looking into installing some new ones. If your locks are visible from outside, this also has the extra benefit of deterring thieves from targeting your home in the first place. Different types of windows require different types of locks, so consider consulting a reputable locksmith for further advice. Continue reading →

So you have this beautiful home that you have spent years perfecting and you are justifiably proud of it. Of course, it did cost a bit of money to get your home just as you want it but it was worth it.

Famous homes

There are thousands of films out there that could be used as an example –

real homes that have been rented with the exact purpose of filming a movie there. In fact, many movies that are based around a house actually use someone’s home as a set rather than constructing an entire property within a movie studio. From Home Alone to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Driving Miss Daisy to Charlie’s Angels, all of these films have used a real house as part of the set.

In the UK, the trend of renting out your home for a short period to allow filming in it has taken off in a big way. It began with shows such as Downton Abbey that used Highclere Castle in Berkshire for most of its filming – and the location now makes a tidy income as a tourist attraction due to the show’s popularity. However, the most searched for type of properties are the houses that are beautiful, well laid out and already look like a movie set – just like your home. Top location agencies are the people who match up properties with filmmakers and are the best people to organise everything.

Benefits of renting out

It can be surprising just how much money you can make by renting out your home for movie or TV show filming. In fact, it can be anywhere from $1000 to $5000 per day, varying depending on how much of the house the crew needs. The owner of the house used in the film Argo made over $50,000 by renting her house to the film crew to make the film.

Another good point about this is that as long as you rent your house out for less than two weeks a year, you do not have to pay federal taxes on the money you make and many states, including California, don’t have to pay state taxes either. You also get to stay in a hotel free of charge while the crew are filming if your house can’t be lived in and can pop in to watch the filming for free.

You may even get some free home improvements out of the experience if anything needs to be changed or if something is damaged. Filmmakers often leave a home in better condition than it was before they arrived, including a fresh coat of paint or some free landscaping.

Considerations

While there are no real downsides to the idea of renting your house, there are a couple of considerations. For starters, you have to be okay with your life being disrupted for the time the filming takes – the crew will literally take over your home. But it is a worthwhile disruption both in terms of money and being able to say ‘that’s my home!’ when the film or show is released!